Suchitra Sen, Indian actor and Bengali screen legend, dies

Actor was screen idol for a quarter of a century in Bengali-language films and wider Indian cinema

Associated Press in Kolkata

Suchitra Sen. Photograph: /Public domain

Suchitra Sen, the Indian actor legendary for memorable roles in Bengali language and Bollywood films, has died after a cardiac arrest, her daughter said Friday. She was 82.

Sen was taken to hospital in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state, more than three weeks ago for treatment of a respiratory tract infection. She died in the hospital early on Friday, said Moon Moon Sen, who is also an actor.

Suchitra Sen started acting in 1952 and reigned supreme for 26 years. She won fame in Bengali films, especially movies in which she co-starred with actor Uttam Kumar. The two become synonymous with Bengali melodramas and romantic movies through the 1960s and the 1970s.

She made her debut in Hindi films in 1955 and won several awards.

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jan/17/suchitra-sen-bollywood-legend-dies